Biden speech tonight

I just finished watching Joe Biden's VP nomination acceptance speech. (I DVR'd it because I had collateral to read, so I'm a little behind when it actually ran, but I haven't watched any commentary on it yet.)

It was red meat and it revved up the crowd; no doubt about that! But it certainly does not represent any change in tone from any political era; it was as strident in its rhetoric and blistering in its attacks on John McCain as anything I've heard this election season. Yes, I think you could say that the last 10 minutes were an angry tirade!

I guess we can say goodbye to the "Third Way" style of politics that rises up above everything that has gone before. But then, I think that has worn pretty thin by this point anyhow.

I think it was a mistake to put Bill Clinton on before Biden tonight. The crowd was clearly jazzed by Clinton's appearance, and he didn't disappoint. He can work a crowd like no other politician on the scene today, including Obama. Obama is the better orator, but he doesn't connect with the crowd like Clinton does. Biden's style is totally different, not nearly as smooth, with a lot of bluster and hokum (a word that my favorite TV journalist, Brit Hume, is exceedingly fond of employing this week).

(Sidenote that is completely irrelevant: This Bruce Springsteen song ("Saturday") that they used to welcome Biden both last Saturday and today sure is catchy. But why this song? Springsteen is from New Jersey, isn't he?)

Biden does have a beautiful family and I am sure he is a fine husband, father and grandpa. Peggy Noonan and others who are in a position to know claim that he is a decent man, someone with whom you can enjoy spending time. I'm sure that is the case.

But on stage, he throws these bits of sarcasm and nastiness in there that are, I would think, very unattractive to undecided voters, along with undiluted class warfare pap. (Fred Barnes just echoed the last part of the previous sentence, essentially.) One of these zingers he threw in there was all about how this administration has broken "the promise of America", which is prosperity for everyone. Since when did our country make this promise? We have the opportunity, but guaranteed riches for all has never been part of the American contract with its citizens. This is socialism.

But again, this IS Joe Biden we're talking about.

Unless Obama really brings it home tomorrow night, I don't see how he comes out of the convention with more than a 5 point bounce, if that. So far, I have seen nothing in this convention beyond all the expected pageantry that would appeal to an undecided audience out there. And a few polls even show McCain gaining ground after the Biden pick. As things stand today, the Real Clear Politics average has Obama a couple of points ahead.

Well, the Dems have one more day and this convention will be histoire. And not a moment too soon. How long can you milk the same message of "America is further down the drain than at any time in previous history, blah, blah blah?"

I am looking forward to Friday; it really seems like Mitt might be on the ticket after all. Drudge is reporting that Romney and Pawlenty are the only two who are in serious consideration and that McCain has made up his mind.